Agricultural economies depend upon efficient utilization of equipment, personnel, time, and money resources. Allocation of these resources is an important consideration in field and crop management. The duration of time that equipment and personnel spend on any given field dramatically affects the efficiency of crop production. Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is to reduce the resources expended during field management.
Once a crop has been harvested, residual crop materials frequently remain on the field surface. Typically, these residual crop materials are incorporated within the soil profile of the field in an effort to maintain soil nutrient integrity. In particular, management of corn cropped fields commonly includes the incorporation of the residual corn stalks with field soil once the corn, and occasionally a portion of the stalk, has been harvested. Whereas some growers harvest a majority of the kernel, cob, and stalk material, others harvest only the kernel and discharge a majority of the chaff or cob and stalk materials onto the field. Regardless of the quantity of stalk material that is harvested, the subsequent preparation of a field requires incorporation of the stalk or crop residue with the field soil. It is generally understood that the size of the crop residue particles, as well as, the surface area of the crop residue exposed to the soil, affects crop residue decomposition. Specifically, reduced crop residue particle size and increased surface contact of the crop residue with adjoining soil improves crop residue decomposition.
Frequently, a crop residue conditioner, such as a stalk chopper, is pulled across the previously harvested field. The stalk chopper cuts the remaining stalks into smaller, more easily workable and degradable sized pieces. Frequently, one pass over relatively rigid crop residue such as corn stalks with the stalk chopper is insufficient to achieve the desired crop residue sizing. Additionally, the single pass of the stalk chopper inadequately conditions the crop residue that is generally aligned with the blades of the cutter. That is, crop residue that lies relatively perpendicular to the direction of travel passes through the stalk chopper with inadequate or no conditioning. This residue can lead to plow and other implement plugging or clogging during subsequent working of the field. Accordingly, many operators cross a field in a second working direction that is generally perpendicular to a first working direction to further condition the crop residue.
Such a process of conditioning crop residue increases an operator's time spent on any particular field, increases equipment wear and fuel consumption associated with any single working of the field, and detrimentally affects soil aeration due to the increased cultivation traffic on the field. Furthermore, insufficient single pass crop residue conditioning prevents subsequent operations, such as primary tillage, from being conducted contemporaneously with the initial crop residue-conditioning pass.
Commonly, after a field or a number of fields have been worked in crisscrossing directions with the residue conditioning implements, the operator must change implements to a primary tillage implement constructed to aerate a tillage profile and mix and/or bury the conditioned crop residue with the soil of the tillage profile. Once the crop residue has been mixed with the soil profile by the primary tillage implement, the operator again changes implements exchanging the primary tillage implement for another tillage implement constructed to level the cultivated tillage profile. Accordingly, traditional incorporation of crop residue with a tillage profile and preparation for subsequent field conditioning requires extensive field working with variable implements. Furthermore, each of the crop residue conditioner, the primary tillage implement, and the leveling implement are operated across the fields at different elevations. That is, where the crop residue-conditioning implement generally operates at an upper surface level of the field, the primary tillage implement is generally operated at an elevation of approximately 8 to 14 inches below the soil surface. Similarly, the leveling implement is generally operated in a range of approximately 3 to 6 inches below an upper surface of the primary tillage profile. Accordingly, simple gang connection of a plurality of individual devices is impractical to achieve efficient single pass field working.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a primary tillage system capable of conditioning crop residue in crossing directions, incorporating the conditioned crop residue into a tillage profile, and leveling the tillage profile for subsequent field weathering, planting or other conditioning.
In accordance with the present invention, a crop residue conditioning and incorporation implement is provided. The implement includes a frame extending along a longitudinal axis and supported above a supporting surface. The frame has a forward end connectable to a tow vehicle and a rearward end. A first conditioner is pivotably connected to the frame for conditioning a crop residue. The first conditioner is movable between a first retracted position and a second extended position independent of the frame. A second conditioner is pivotably connected to the frame at a location longitudinally spaced from the first conditioner for conditioning the crop residue. The second conditioner is movable between a first retracted position and a second extended position independent of the frame
The implement may also include a first tillage implement attached to the frame at a location between the first and second conditioners. The first tillage implement is biased toward the supporting surface. A second tillage implement is attached to the frame at a location rearward of the second conditioner. The second tillage implement is engageable with the supporting surface for leveling the supporting surface. It is contemplated that the first and second conditioners are independently movable relative to each other.
The first conditioner may be a stalk chopper that includes a plurality of blades oriented generally transverse to a pulled direction. The second conditioner includes first and second cutting disks positioned on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis. Each cutting disk includes a radially outer edge lying in plane that intersects the longitudinal axis at an acute angle. The frame is movable in a first direction and the radially outer edges of first and second cutting disks are oriented in a crossing direction with respect to the first direction. The cutting disks can be either individually mounted or mounted in a gang configuration, can be straight or concave in shape, and can be run at an acute angle intersecting or parallel to the longitudinal axis.
The implement may further include a wheel system pivotably connected to the frame for supporting the frame above the supporting surface. The wheel system includes a wheel and an actuator interconnecting the wheel system to the frame. The actuator is movable between a retracted position wherein the first conditioner engages the supporting surface and an extended position wherein the first conditioner is spaced from the supporting surface.
A leveling assembly is operatively connected to the frame. The leveling assembly pivots the frame on the wheel between a first level position wherein the frame is level with the supporting surface and a second level position. The implement may also include at least one wing pivotably supported by the frame. The wing is movable between a transport position and a non-transport position.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a primary tillage system is provided. The system includes a frame extending along a longitudinal axis and being supportable above a supporting surface. A stalk chopper is pivotably attached to the frame. The stalk chopper includes a central hub and a plurality of circumferentially spaced blades projecting radially from the hub. A cutting disk is pivotably attached to the frame aft of the stalk chopper. The cutting disk is positionable independent of the frame. A plurality of tillage shanks are attached to the frame aft the cutting disk. Each tillage shank is indexed relative to the cutting disk. A harrow is also pivotably attached to the frame aft the plurality of tillage shanks. The harrow is positionable independent of the frame and is indexed relative to the plurality of tillage shanks.
Each of the plurality of tillage shanks are offset from an axis of travel of the cutting disk to prevent soil clogging between adjacent tillage shanks. The harrow includes a plurality of soil manipulators. Each soil manipulator is offset from an axis of travel of each of the plurality of tillage shanks. The stalk chopper is positionable independent of the frame. A wheel assembly is pivotably connected to the frame and includes a wheel. The wheel assembly is movable between a first position wherein the plurality of tillage shanks engages the supporting surface and a second position wherein the plurality of tillage shanks are disengaged from the supporting surface. The harrow is selected from a group including a plurality of disks, a plurality of tines, at least one rolling basket, and a plurality of coulters. The cutting disk includes a radially outer edge free of serrations.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, an agricultural implement is provided. The implement includes a frame extending along a longitudinal axis and being supportable above a supporting surface. A stalk chopper is pivotably connected to the frame and has a plurality of blades for cutting a crop residue in a first direction. First and second sets of cutting disks are pivotably connected to the frame. Each set of cutting disks include a plurality of individual disks. A cutting disk actuator moves at least one set of the cutting disks between a first raised position and a second lowered position. The cutting disk actuator moves the at least one set of the cutting disks independent of the frame. A leveling tool is pivotably connected to the frame aft of the first and second sets of cutting disks. A leveling tool actuator moves the leveling tool between a first raised position and a second lowered position. The leveling tool actuator moves the leveling tool independent of the frame.
The first and second sets of cutting disks are positioned on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis. Each cutting disk of the first and second sets of cutting disks include a radially outer edge lying in plane that intersects the longitudinal axis at an acute angle. The frame is movable in a first direction and the radially outer edges of first and second cutting disks are oriented in a crossing direction with respect to the first direction.
A wheel system is pivotably connected to the frame for supporting the frame above the supporting surface. The wheel system including a wheel and an actuator interconnecting the wheel system to the frame. The actuator is movable between a retracted position wherein the first and second sets of cutting disks engage the supporting surface and an extended position wherein the first and second sets of cutting disks are spaced from the supporting surface. A leveling assembly is operatively connected to the frame. The leveling assembly pivots the frame on the wheel between a first level position for operation wherein the frame is level with the supporting surface and a second level position for transport. At least one wing may be pivotably supported by the frame. The wing is movable between a transport position and a non-transport position.
Other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.